The squirming of the Eurosceptics in the face of the Liberal Democrat call for a referendum on EU membership tells us a lot about them.

The Liberal Democrats themselves, having fought the last general election on a platform of a referendum on the then constitutional treaty, do not support the idea of a referendum on the Lisbon treaty – it is sufficiently different from the previous constitutional treaty to release them from their manifesto commitment – but nevertheless want a referendum on Europe. They say it will enable the issue of Europe to be settled in British politics, and it will also enable their MPs to say to their constituents that they offered the voters a direct say on Europe.

Nigel Farage MEP, leader of the UK Independence Party, has absurdly denounced this move. He says it is “nothing but a smokescreen”. He went on:

“Whilst in the long term I agree that this is the referendum we want, calling for it at this time is only to cover up their weasel-like position over a referendum.”

What has the long term got to do with it? It is not UKIP policy to withdraw from the EU in the long term, it is UKIP policy to withdraw from the EU as soon as possible. The fact is that there is little public support for leaving the EU and Nigel Farage knows it: he would rather have a referendum on the Lisbon treaty because he thinks there is more change of winning that one, which he knows would then be tantamount to a No vote on membership as a whole.

“Most people in Britain don’t want to see further centralisation of power in the EU – but at the same time they want to reform the EU, not leave it.”

The call to reform the EU is not limited to Britain: it is shared by the rest of the EU, too. And that is what the Lisbon treaty is for. It will increase the democratic accountability of the EU institutions and make the EU more effective at implementing agreed policies, without adding substantially to the range of policies that can be made.

If the British people do not accept these reforms, what else are they to do? These reforms have not come from nowhere – they have been under discussion for six years since the Laeken Declaration of December 2001 – and are not going to be rewritten substantially now. If the British, having taken part in the negotiations and signed up to these reforms so far, now change their mind, they are not going to change the mind of the rest of Europe with them.

Neil O’Brien is offering a false choice if he suggests that, between ratifying the treaty and leaving the EU, there is a third option. It doesn’t exist.

He himself objects, in his article on the Guardian website, that

“Only offering people a polarising “in or out” referendum would be a dishonest attempt to push people into positions they don’t hold.”

Actually, it would be a referendum on the Lisbon treaty rather than membership that would be the dishonest step, pretending that the British can both have their cake and eat it. The truth is that Neil O’Brien objects to the EU more that he is willing to say: it is the objection that dare not speak its name.

About the Author

6 Comments

The Lib Dems are calling for this debate to hide the fact they have stuck two fingers up at the people who voted for them.

The debate is not happening now on membership. Let’s get this debate over with and then do a free, fair and honest debate on membership. If the Lib Dems can manage that without throwing around phrases that make anyone with any knowledge of economics or business hold their head in their hands.

As was said earlier:-Wrong, wrong, wrongIreland is the only EU nation which guarantees its citizens a vote on the Lisbon Treaty/EU Constitution. However, the EU Parliament has just voted to ignore the results of the Irish referendum.Only 129 voted to respect the will of the Irish voters. 33 abstained, including most British Conservative MEPs. Most UK Independence Party Euro-MPs voted to respect the Irish vote, the British Labour and Liberal Democrats effectively told the Irish where to shove their referendum.EU Democracy in action once again.

Thank you Richard for this interesting post. I fully agree that it would be healthier for the British people to express itself clearly on where they stand on the European Union.

The British government’s tactics of watering down the treaties before asking for opting outs is growing old. The debates with the nationalists’ myths and lies is a deadend. In or out would be a great choice to make for Britain but also for the rest of Europe. Either the UK leaves and the rest of us can do what we see fit or it stays in the Union and takes part in making it more democratic and more efficient throught reforms such as the new Lisbon treaty.

Well in case that British do vote no there is actually a third option. The matter of fact is that Britain cannot be thrown out of the EU unless it leaves voluntarily. So the British could hold the reform of the EU back indefinitely and keeping the status quo.